Reducing waste

Cutting the amount of waste your business has to handle is the most cost-effective and environmentally-friendly method of dealing with waste.

There are a number of areas you could focus on:

• Look for easy wins - seemingly trivial changes can produce significant savings, such as printing and photocopying double-sided, refilling printer cartridges, switching off lights and electrical equipment, and using rechargeable batteries.
• Procure carefully - buy only what you need, control stock and streamline processes across departments. Buy equipment in bulk to reduce packaging and consider the product's durability and lifespan - replacing equipment less often will reduce the waste you create. See our guide on buying sustainable goods and services.
• Review your processes - ensure that equipment and materials are used efficiently and packaging is kept to a minimum.
• Product design - keep the amount of materials you use in products to a minimum. See our guide on eco-design for goods and services.
• Packaging design and use - make sure you use as little packaging as possible to achieve an adequate level of protection for your products.
• Use advice about resource efficiency from a range of organisations.

WRAP Northern Ireland

Zero Waste Scotland

Adopting a strategic and systematic approach is the best way to achieve significant reductions in the amount of waste that your business produces.